Device for facilitating the locomotion of persons suffering from locomotor ataxia.



. S. L. PIDOT.

DEVICE FOR FACILITATING THE LOGOMOTION OF PERSONS SUFFERING PROMLOCOMOTOR ATAXIA.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 20, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

* UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL IIOUIS PIDOT, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR FACILITATING TI IE LOCOMOTION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROMLOCOMOTOR ATAXIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed October 20, 1913. Serial No. 796,238.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL LOUIS PIDOT,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St.Joseph, county of Buchanan, and State of Missouri, have invented a newand Improved Device for Facilitating the Locomotion of Persons Sufferingfrom Locomotor Ataxia, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electrical device designed to facilitate thelocomotion of persons suffering from locomotor ataxia and has for itsobject the production of a device of this character which will be ofsimple and economical construction and effectual in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, and in which, Figure 1 isa perspective view illustrating my device applied in its manner of use,Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of my device, Fig. 3 is a perspective Viewof the belt or support which is worn by the patient using'the device,detached, and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a slightlymodified form of my device.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawingcomprises a belt 1 designed to be worn about the body of the patient asclearly shown in Fig. 1, the same being supported through the medium ofstraps 2 which are adapted to be passed over the shoulders.

Mounted upon the belt 1 is an ordinary dry cell 3 which is constructedin any convenient portable form. Also mounted upon the belt 1 adjacentthe cell 3 is a device & comprising an induction coil 5 which isconnected with the cell 3 by means of a wire 6 and arranged forcooperation with said coil is a current interrupter 7 the post 8 ofwhich is connected by means of a wire 9 with the opposite side of thecell 3. The device 4, as is apparent to those skilled in the art, issimply the ordinary Ruhmkorif coil which is preferably used in thisconnection. Interposed in the wire 9 of the primary circuit is a makeand break mechanism located in the shoe at the corresponding side of thepatient. This make and break device comprises a spring key 10 and. ametallic plate 11 the head of the key 10 being normally in contact withsaid plate in order to close the circuit. hen the foot is in contactwith the ground the key 10 is flexed or pressed upwardly so as to breakthe electrical connection between the same and the plate 11 and thus toopen or break the primary circuit.

Cooperating with the induction coil 5 is a secondary circuit the wire 12of which has its terminals connected with contact plates 13 arranged atthe inner side of the belt 1 for contact with the skin of the patientwhen the device is worn. The wire .12 of the secondary circuit is coiledabout the induction coil 5 as shown at 14. so that when said primarycircuit is closed as by electrical contact of the key 10 with the plate11, an induced current or electromotive force will be set up in thesecondary circuit which discharges a current through the body of thepatient inasmuch as the body of the patient serves as a medium throughwhich the circuit between the two terminals 13 of the secondary circuitis completed. With the construction set forth then it will be'seen thatin using the device when the foot of the patient is on the ground theprimary circuit will be broken and hence no shocks or impulses felt byhim. \Vhen the foot is raised from the ground the key 10 will move toits normal position to close the primary circuit, the latter in turnthrough the interrupter included therein setting up an inducedelectromotive force in the secondary circuit which; as previouslystated, discharges a current or shock through the body of the patient,thus apprising him of the fact that his foot has been raised. Thisimpulse or shock through-the body of the patient will continue until hisfoot is again brought in contact with the ground when the primarycircuit will be broken through depression of key 10 which efiects thediscontinuation of the shock or impulse passed through the body therebyapprising the patient of the fact that his foot has been lowered. Hencewith this arrangement the patient will at all times be in control of hislower limbs that is the position thereof and thus his locomotionmaterially facilitated. Both lower limbs of the body are provided withessentially similar apparatus, connection in parallel and supplied froma common electrical source, the

electrodes of the secondary circuit being confined to that side of thebody corresponding to the leg whose movement produces a dischargebetween the secondary electrodes.

If desired a condenser 15 may be employed for cooperation with thecurrent interrupter 7 as clearly shown in Fig.2, said condenser" beingconnected by wires 16 and 17 with the coil 5 and post 8 or in such amanner as to bridge the gap. This condenser is designed to convert thedischarge at the terminals of the secondary circuit into a discharge inone direction namely, the positive direction at the break of the primarycurrent. However if desired this condenser may be omitted.

In Fig. l wherein the modified form is shown the induction coil, currentinterrupter and condenser are dispensed with and in lieu thereof anelement 18 known as a self induction coil is employed, which isvprovided with two posts or electrodes one of whichis connected throughWlI6'5 with cell 3 and the other with the wire 9 of the primary circuitas illustrated, said posts being also connected with the wire 12 of thesecondary circuit. Said element comprises an inner laminated iron core18' about which is wrapped a coil of very fine wire 18". Said core isadapted when the primary circuit is closed to be magnetized or toaccumulate electrical energy so that when the primary circuit is brokenby depression of the key 10, said element will discharge through thesecondary circuit so as to cause a momentary shock or impulse throughthe body instead of a continuous shock or impulse such as takes place inthe first described form.

L With the modified form also it will be seen that the impulse or shockwhich is passed through the body is effected upon the breaking of theprimary circuit or when the foot is in contact with the ground whereasin the first described form the impulse 0r shock is passed through thebody occurs when the foot is raised from the ground.

. WVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred forms ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, these are capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described in combination, means forimparting electrio impulses to the body of the patient; and

means operable by contact-cf either foot of the patient with the groundfor controlling said impulses, the controlling means cooper ating witheach foot of the patient being operable independently of the meanscooperating with the other foot, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described the combination of means forimparting elect'ric impulses to the body of the patient; and circuitmaking and breaking means operable by contact of either foot of thepatient with the ground for controlling said impulses, the controllingmeans cooperating with each foot of the patient being operableindependently of the means cooperating with the other foot,substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of means forimparting electric impulses to the body of the patient,

said means comprising a primary circuit;

a secondary circuit arranged to receive an induced current from saidprimary circuit when the latter is closed; terminals for said secondarycircuit contacting with two points on the body of the patient; andcircuit making and breaking means in said primary'circuit operable bycont-act of the foot of the patient with the ground, substantially asdescribed.

4C. In a device of the character described 1 the combination of aprimary circuit ineluding a source of electrical energy; an inductioncoil; a circuit making and breaking device controlled by contact of thefoot of the patient with the ground; a secondary circuit arranged toreceive an induced current from said primary circuit; and terminals forsaid secondary circuit contacting with two points on the body of thepatient, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL LOUIS PIDOT. Witnesses:

G. A. Donson,

II. M. STIGALL.

